SheWee Portable Urinating Device

~~The Product Idea~~

-A what??
A she wee.
-What on Earth is that for then??
It's a specially designed funnel, which allows women to urinate standing up, like a man.
-Why on Earth would you want to do that?
Haven't you ever been stuck on the side of a thistly road, desperate for a wee in your best shoes and unwilling to squat down to get prickled?
-Um yes...
Or been in a really nasty public or squat toilet without a seat or toilet paper
-Of course
Or hovering over the seat trying to get a urine sample pot in position, especially if you're pregnant or have restricted mobility
-I suppose men do have it easier....

Or at least that's how I imagine the idea started!

~~My she wee story~~

I first heard of this product when people were talking about using it at Glastonbury Festival. If you have ever used festival toilets you will know why people wanted to use it. It means no sitting on the (often disgusting) seats and no need for toilet paper (pure bliss!) I then saw something similar (although made of cardboard) at Reading festival, along with the option of using a stand up urinal, which meant less queuing for the toilets. I was intrigued but didn't think I wanted to use it for the first time in front of dozens of other festival goers!
I am going travelling soon to Laos, which apparently doesn't have any public toilets outside of major cities so this seemed ideal.

When I got home I did a bit of online research and found this reusable 'she wee' It's available on several sites but I went with the original website http://www.shewee.com/ clicked the button and off I went.

~~The price~~

Ranging from £4.50-£6 depending on which online shop you buy it from. There are some high street retailers listed on the website but not many.

~~Delivery~~

Quick and efficient, my she wee arrived in a little box within a few days. It was discreetly packaged (pointlessly in my case as I had already told everyone I lived with about it in my excitement!)

~~First impressions~~

The she wee is about 7 inches long and less than 2 inches wide, at the widest point. I was surprised by the length as in the picture on the website it looks as if the top of the she wee fits against your body. In fact there is a thin prong which is placed between your legs, which is obvious if you look at the side view. It came with clear, instructions, written with a sense of fun, which I really liked. In fact it is pretty instinctive to use so doesn't need a lot of explanation. It also has a small resealable plastic bag to carry it in. This is a fairly flimsy sandwich bag type thing but can easily be replaced if it were to tear.

~~In Use~~

You are advised to try using the she wee in the shower to get used to positioning it, apparently urine is sterile on leaving the body and you can use the drain for target practise!
I did use the shower the first time but it was so easy I could have gone straight for the toilet.
You put the she wee in place (it's obvious where it goes!) take a breath while you get your head round the whole thing and off you go!
You have to lift the toilet seat, which I found a bit odd, and remember to put it down afterwards- just like a guy!

The funnel works exactly as it says on the website, channelling everything into the toilet (or tree etc). In order to aim it more to the left or right you have to turn your whole body as the she wee needs to stay flush against your skin, but that is not difficult and not really necessary if you line it up first.

I have had a couple of small leaks, both when I had a very full bladder and was desperate to go. I don't know if it was volume or if I was rushing too much to position it properly! In the future I would try and go to the toilet before I was very desperate but it is a shame because it limits when I would use it.

I was worried about using it when wearing long floaty skirts but in fact the she wee sits so well against your body there is no chance of anything interfering with the flow and getting wet. You can also tuck the she wee into your knickers or trousers without removing them. I was dubious when I read this but again because it sits in exactly the right place it holds your underwear /trousers out the way itself. All this means you won't flash your bottom at passers-by if you're outside using a tree (although people might do a double take!)

It takes a bit of time to get the she wee out, put in place and wash it afterwards, although I have got quicker with practise.

~~After use~~

As you remove the she wee you can wipe it gently against your body so there is no need for toilet paper which I think is a real advantage as I hate it when you can't find a cubicle with paper- girls are not designed to drip dry!

You do have to juggle it a bit while doing up your flies as most places you use it you probably won't want to put it on the floor!

The she wee is made from a water resistant plastic so shaking it gets rid of most of the drips (I found one or two small drops left, imagine water on a Teflon coated pan!) The website suggests you don't need to wash it after use but I always have. Hopefully wherever you are you'll have water for hand washing so you'll be able to rinse it out. You can put it in the washing machine or dishwasher but I haven't tried this.
Then you just pop it back in the bag for next time. There hasn't been any odour or discolouring, although I have only had it for a few weeks so far.

Overall I think this is a pretty nifty product. The main draw back is that I wouldn't use it when I had a very full bladder but I will definitely take it when I go travelling or if I was going hiking/camping/to a festival or filling a sample pot, so that's quite a wide range of uses for only a fiver!